Baywatch reboot slammed by critics

Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon and Zac Efron as Matt Brody in the new Baywatch movie. Photo/AP

It's got some of the world's most bankable stars, including Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Zac 'Those Abs' Efron.

And it's based on one of the world's most popular television series of all time.

But Baywatch, the big budget reboot due to hit screens here next week, has been slammed by critics.

Dwayne Johnson, Ilfenesh Hadera and Kelly Rohrbach in Baywatch. Photo/AP

On Rotten Tomatoes, its aggregate review rating is just 13 per cent.

It is, says Entertainment Weekly's Chris Nashawaty, "the rare movie that even the Teflon-coated, thousand-watt charisma of Dwayne Johnson can't save".

The New York Post's Reed Tucker agrees: "It washes up on the beach like a dead whale."

The Daily Mirror's Chris Hunneysett said "a light hearted tone, gross out gags and stream of bantz are a poor substitute for a decent joke or a smart script".

And Jon Niccum from the Kansas City Star called it "dead on arrival".

However, James Luxford from the Radio Times, praised the film, saying it "succeeds by putting its tongue firmly in its cheek and charming its way through.

Baywatch was one of the world's most watched TV shows when it ran between 1989-99 with a starring role for David Hasselhoff.

Viewers can decide for themselves when Baywatch hits theatres here on June 1.